o men
came up to him. One of these, a Senator and a slaveholder from South
Carolina, of the name of Brooks, was armed with a heavy stick. This
ruffian attacked Sumner from behind, felled him with a blow, and then
beat him as he lay upon the floor, leaving him almost dead. For this
grievous offence a small fine was imposed upon Brooks, and the amount
was promptly paid by his admiring constituents. The bully then
resigned his seat, and was re-elected without opposition by the South
as its spokesman, leader, and law-maker.

The news of this murderous attack spread like a flame through the land.
In every State in the South it found a ready response in the sullen
passions of the slave-owners, whose hatred for the Abolitionists it
exactly expressed. Throughout the North it raised a nobler sentiment,
and called forth a resolve that the system which placed millions of
human beings under the absolute power of such men as this Brooks must
be swept away. In both North and South that blow in the Senate House
at Washington fell like a spark among the stubble: it set the nation on
fire.

Among others who denounced the shameful deed was young Garfield. The
students of his university called a public meeting to protest against
the crime, and Garfield was the principal speaker. His address more
than surprised his companions. All the passionate vehemence of his
mighty heart was awakened by this outrage, and all the slumbering
hatred which he had nursed since boyhood against the abominations of
slavery sprang to his lips.

As his hot words swept over the audience, his fellow-students sat
amazed. Great as had been their belief in his powers, they had hardly
expected this, and they heard enough that night to convince them that
one of the mighty men of the earth was rising up amongst them; and they
went away from the meeting whispering, "We have heard great things
to-day."

CHAPTER XIV.

THE FIRST BLOW.

Garfield's Power as a Platform Speaker--A Candidate for the Senate--His
Election--Is Slavery right or wrong?--War inevitable--The Attack on
Fort Sumter--The Civil War begun.

Garfield was twenty-six when he left Williams' University. He entered
this college a raw student from a Western seminary; he left it a
distinguished scholar, a graduate with honours, and a popular lay
preacher and platform speaker.

In spite of many flattering offers, he had remained true to the Western
Institute at Hiram. Before his retu